From left, front row, Chiho Osawa, Hanae Kubo and Nana Fujimoto, and Akane Shiga, far right, back row, are among players attending a press conference on Dec. 26, 2021, in Tomakomai, Hokkaido. (Photo courtesy of Japan Ice Hockey Federation/Kyodo)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Forwards Chiho Osawa and Hanae Kubo, along with goalkeeper Nana Fujimoto, were among veteran players named to Japan's 23-woman ice hockey roster for the 2022 Winter Games on Sunday by the Japan Ice Hockey Federation.

       Twenty-year-old forward Akane Shiga, who made her mark at the women's world championship in Calgary this summer, will lead a group of eight Olympic debutants in Beijing in February.

       With the planned international friendlies in January canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Japan will play scrimmages with men's high school teams and hold domestic training camps in the lead-up to the games.

       The puck will drop on the Winter Olympics on Feb. 3 when the women's preliminary-round play begins, one day before the official opening of the games. Japan's first game is against Sweden.

       The Japanese women's ice hockey team is making its fourth Olympic appearance. Japan finished sixth out of eight at the Pyeongchang Games in 2018.

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